Highway guard



E. L. BENEDICT HIGHWAY GUARD Sept. 19, 1933.

Filed July 22, 1952 I ll! Fatented gent. 19, 1933 1 units earner @FFEQE2 Claims.

My invention relates to highway guards, such as are employed as fencesor deflectors to prevent vehicles leaving the roadway, on bridges, onembankments, or at curves.

One object of my invention is to provide a guard structure thatpossesses a maximum capacity of resistance for a given weight ofmaterial.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a guard structure that ishighly yieldable, and can be deflected to a greater extent than varioustypes of guards heretofore employed, without permanent deformation ofthe guard strip.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guard band or strip ofimproved form, and an improved manner of connecting the same tosupporting posts or the like.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of theguard structure; Fig. 2 is a face view of a portion thereof, on anenlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a sectional end view of the structure of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 shows amodification of the structure of Fig. 4.

The structure is shown as composed of a bandlike strip of mesh 7 that issupported by a pair of end posts 8, only one of which is shown, and byintermediate posts 9. The posts may be anchored in concrete bases, orotherwise supported, and anchor rods 10 or the like may be provided forthe end posts.

The band 7 may be of thin sheet metal or wire mesh. The mesh may be ofany suitable form, such for example, as any of those shown in mycopending application, Serial No. 603,383, filed April 5, 1932, and ishere shown as composed of longitudinal or strand wires 11 preferably ofsteel so that they will have considerable elasticity or spring. Thewires are maintained in unitary relation by stay wires 12 which havebends formed therein to form seats for supporting the strand wires.

The strand wires alternately pass in front or formed in dies.

When formed of sheet metal,

(Cl. 256l3.1)

the posts may be rolled to approximately channel shape, and then bent toapproximately the contour shown by suitable dies, or the entire formingoperation may be performed by the use of dies.

A vertical depression 13 is formed in the face of each post to produce,in effect, outstanding vertical ribs 14, while the top of the post maybe closed by bending in the upper end thereof,

.or by the use of a cap plate as indicated at 1%.

In assembling the structure, the band 7 is stretched across the faces ofthe posts and secured to the end posts. Thereupon bars 15 are positionedagainst the band at points opposite to the z posts 9, and bolts 16inserted through these bars 40 and perforations in the depressions 13.Springs 1'7 are placed around the bolts and then washers. 18 and nuts 19are placed thereon. Tightening of the nuts 19 will draw the clampingbars 15 inp wardly, thus forcing the band into the depression 55 13 andincreasing the longitudinal tension on the band, the ribs 14 serving asspacing members for maintaining adjacent portions'of the band inhorizontally-spaced planes. The springs 17 will yield sufficiently topermit the bolts and the clamping 8% bars to be drawn out slightly understresses imposed on the band, arid will automatically draw the bandinwardly when such stresses are removed, thereby constantly maintainingthe band under tension. The said stresses may occur either through theimpacts of vehicles against the band, or through shrinkage of the bandin cold weather.

The band may have slight sliding movement with respect to the posts 9,so that any impact or stresses imparted to the band at one location willbe transmitted to posts remote therefrom, thereby relieving the posts inthe immediate vicinity of excessive strains. Furthermore, the bandwillbe prevented from becoming too slack between certain posts, and tootaut between other posts.

The rear sides of the posts 9 are open to provide convenient access tothe bolts and the nuts, and it is therefore not necessary to have thebolts protruding from the rear sides of the posts. Of course, ifdesired, tubular or solid posts could be employed, and the boltsextended completely therethrough. Also, the springs 17 could be omittedwithout sacrifice of various advantageous features of my invention.

If a vehicle hits the band a glancing blow at a 10 point adjacent to oneof the posts 9, the band 7 will ordinarily so deflect the vehicle thatit will not directly engage the post, but if the impact should be sogreat as to overcome the resistance of the band, the hub or bumper barof the vehicle would engage an angular face 20 of the post, an bedeflected outwardly.

Referring now to Fig. 5, I show the band applied to a wood post 21,which is grooved or recessed in its outer side, the band being drawninto such recess by a clamping bar 22 and a bolt 23. Springscorresponding to the springs 17 may be placed at the inner end of thebolt as in Fig. 4, to provide for yieldability. In the structure of Fig.5, the drawing in of the bolt, of course, places the band under tension,as above-explained, and the band may have sliding movementlongitudinally of itself with respect to the clamping plate 22 and thepost 21.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A guard fence comprising a post, a flexible impact-receiving member,means for anchoring said member adjacent to its ends, a pair ofvertically-extending rib-like projections on said post, means fordrawing the adjacent portion of the band into the space between saidprojections, and means for yieldably maintaining the band in saidpositions.

2. A guard fence comprising a flexible impactreceiving member, means foranchoring the ends of said member, a post having a vertical depressionin its face, clamping bolts extending through the mesh and saiddepression into the posts, and means for yieldably maintaining the boltsin said position.

EDWARD L. BENEDICT.

